Me, Myself, and Naruto
by silverwritinggoddess
Summary: Repost. A young woman of seventeen is desperate to get away from the dark future that is set before her. What does it take to get away from it all? Death? Running away? How about disappearing into a time-space continuum and reappearing in the Naruto world? Her presence there just might change the course of the anime history...enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello again! I had someone ask me for more Kyu and Mina. For some of you that are still here, which I'm sure there's not a whole lot left, you know who they are if you have read this fan fic in the beginning. For those of you who haven't, well, here's the story of an OC and her adventures though the Narutoverse. My profile gives an initial explanation as to why I'm here again. Thank you and read on!

* * *

I sigh heavily as I tryto cover up the bruises on my arms and the black eye I had sustained after my drunken parents beat the crap out of me. They told me I was just a mistake that had been born from their passions. No shit. There are days that I often feel like a mistake and I often wish that I had never been born. Life has been a bitch and it continues to be so since I was seventeen years old. I will have to put up with this shit for the next year before I could take my leave and begin a new life elsewhere and away from this hellhole for good. I leave my bedroom bathroom and re-entered my bedroom, which is really dark and bleak. The walls are a plain white, but now, in the darkness, they are faded into a dull shade of gray. The place is devoid of life. I have no pictures of friends or family on my dresser or on my nightstand simply because I have none of each to speak of. My situation won't let me have any of those things and nor do I wish to. Why would anyone hang out with me? I am nothing more than a freak...a freak who often turned to fictional characters for friendship and consolation.

The anime world often keeps me company in times of despair and sadness. Naruto, especially, was, and always has been, my closest companion in this miserable life of mine. Our situations are rather similar in someways now that I think about it. Friendless and no family to speak of, with people despising us, we both had to rely on ourselves to survive no matter what. Unlike me, though, the blonde, knucklehead ninja somehow found the will to live and pushed on with his life, despite what he had to deal with in his life. He had aspirations and dreams of becoming the best ninja there was and of becoming the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. It was his motivation to keep him moving. As for me, I have none of that. I have no ambitions or dreams to talk or boast about. Why should I? My life is dark and bleak, much like my bedroom. Things are hopeless for me. I'm nothing more than a prisoner in my home. The only thing I really had to look forward to was adulthood, but what else would I accomplish? The only thing I would only be able to accomplish would be leaving this place. It is something I would look forward to but what about afterwards? What would happen then? Where would I go from here?

_It's hopeless._ I thought. _There's nothing for me here._

I decide to sit down and pull out my sketchbook. I smile as I flip through all of my completed drawings of various "Naruto" characters. I had also drawn a few other anime characters, such as Yugi and Joey from "Yu-Gi-Oh" and "Inuyasha." I often wished that I had Inuyasha's and Naruto's might and ferocity while I had Yugi's brave soul and heart. They were characters that I admired very much and there were times that I spoke to them as if they were real people. It sounds crazy and perhaps it is but it brings me much comfort in my loneliness. They are my only family.

"MINA, YOU PIECE OF CRAP, GET DOWN HERE!"

Damn. That was the evil, drunken, bitch that called herself my mother. Even when she wasn't drunk, she is still quite abusive. When she didn't get her way, she would often find something to take her anger out on me, which was me 100% of the time. Father is just as abusive, whether he was drunk or not. He has a nasty temper on him when something went wrong and, if I was nearby, he would usually slap me across the face or whip me with a belt. In spite of all of that, I just can't find the will to hate them both. Strange, huh? I always lock and bolt the door to my room, knowing she would haul my butt out if I don't come out. Father is not at home at the moment, so he can't discipline me and wouldn't for another week since he was busy with the black market. The man is also a dealer in stolen goods and drugs and made a killing off of all that. You would think I would get a share in that, but no and, quite frankly, I'm glad I don't have a share of that dirty money.

Sighing again, I set to work on drawing Itachi Uchiha, Sauske's older brother. He is one of my favorite characters in the series. I guess it is because he is strong and powerful. I don't think he's evil, unlike the younger Uchiha. I stay up most of the night, trying to perfect his facial features. By the time I'm finished, mother has since passed out from her drunken rage and hit the hardwood floor in the living room with a hard thud. It's two o'clock in the morning when I look at the clock. I decide that I would begin with another project. I open the season 0 manga of "Yu-Gi-Oh" and start to search for another person to draw. I called the very first manga series of "Yu-Gi-Oh" season 0 because, on T.V, it isn't aired. The series begins with Duelist Kingdom here in the United States and for good reason.

I finally settle on Ryo Bakura and start to draw him, completely entranced by his innocent, yet haunted eyes. I am always fascinated by them because he is haunted by a demon, much like I am. I fall asleep before I can complete his face and I enter a world beyond my wildest dreams...and quite literally.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: A few additions here and there but nothing much. Enjoy!

* * *

A young shinobi of sixteen years old was out training with one of his clones at the local training ground, focused on becoming the greatest ninja to have ever existed in the ninja world. He was a tall young man with bright, blonde hair and possessed a pair of bright, friendly, blue eyes. He had the purest of heart, despite the miserable past he had lived through as a child. As much as it pained him, he did not let it affect his training or his dream of becoming the next Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. In fact, he used it as motivation to pursue his dream. He wanted to gain the respect of his peers and of the village. Uzamaki Naruto was determined to never let anything get in his way and vowed to protect everyone that he loved. That was his ninja way.

The young ninja finally took a break from his intense training, as much as he would like to continue. His famous orange jumpsuit was all torn up from the spars he held with his shadow clones and dirt covered every inch of his tall and muscular frame. He was about to plop down onto the ground to enjoy his daily snack of ramen when he sensed an unfamiliar presence nearby. The unfamiliar chakra signature was quite powerful by his standards. He hopped up and pulled out his kunai knives, prepared to attack the intruder when he heard a small whimper and a cry for help. Naruto immediately tracked the owner of the voice and came upon a girl of seventeen years of age. She looked up at him, her eyes unseeing, before she fell unconscious. This was a major concern.

"Hey," Naruto said. "Wake up."

He gently rocked the unconscious girl, hoping that he could wake her up without hurting her too much. As he tried to wake her up, he noticed several bruises on her arms and spotted a poorly concealed black eye. The young shinobi frowned and decided to take this young stranger to the hospital. He carefully lifted her up and cradled her in his arms before leaping off into the distance and towards the hospital. Despite the concern that she could be a threat to the village, he just couldn't stand seeing a girl beaten up into a bloody pulp.

* * *

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called loudly.

"Keep it down, Naruto." A pink-haired girl scolded. "This is a hospital, you know."

This was Haruno Sakura, the resident medical ninja of the Leaf Village. She trained under the current Hokage, Lady Tsunade, and gained superhuman strength during her training. The konoichi sported a red top with white stripes and wore black shorts. She wore her ninja headband to hold her bubblegum pink hair up out of her face. Her emerald eyes shone brightly underneath the hospital lights but they dimmed when they spotted the unconscious girl in her friend's arms. She could feel the enormous amount of chakra this stranger was giving off and expressed her doubts. Naruto explained that she had been attacked by someone, based on the black eye and bruises on her arm. As to who attacked her, he didn't know. Sakura sighed but she was willing, albeit reluctantly, to help this stranger. She sensed no danger, but she knew that the girl had to be questioned sooner or later by the Hokage.

"You do know that I have to report this to the Hokage, right?"

The blonde ninja nodded solemnly before handing the patient to Sakura, who took her to an examination room nearby and immediately set to work.

* * *

Naruto remained in the hospital room with the mysterious girl as he waited for the Hokage to arrive. He admired her silvery blonde hair and he could see through the black eye that she was a very pretty girl. He hoped that the Hokage would let her stay here in the village because he got the sense that she was alone and had nowhere to go. He had no idea why but he did feel that way. It was rather strange. When she woke up, he stared into beautiful violet eyes. However, when he looked deep into them, he found sadness and endless despair inside them. The sadness that he saw very nearly matched his own when he was growing up. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, after all. He saw the trauma and some resentment inside them. It was as if she had been attacked by someone that was supposed to love her. A pang of sorrow and anger rolled through the young ninja's body, inciting the demon fox inside him.

_What have you gone through?_ He wondered.

"So," a voice broke in. "She's waking up. Good."

The blonde looked back and came face to face with the fifth Hokage herself. Her long blonde hair fell down her back in pigtails and her brown eyes had taken a serious look. She was about to scold the young man about bringing potential enemies into the village when she saw the pain and sorrow in his blue eyes as he stared at the girl. That was when she became concerned for the pure-hearted boy. It was unlike the bubbly and obnoxious blonde to be so down in the dumps. She looked over at her patient and saw the same pain in Naruto's eyes in hers. She still had to interrogate her patient as protocol stated but she sensed that this girl was far from the threat that she had been worried about. In fact, this girl was nowhere near the Akatsuki level, though the amount of chakra she gave off was rather impressive. There had been reports of the rouge ninja roaming around the area from Jiraya, specifically one Uchiha Itachi and his partner, Kisame, in search of the legendary demon containers. She sighed before she sat down on a chair and started working on her patient and found more than she expected. She was going to need a bucket-load of sake after this.


	3. Chapter 3

I had been in a deep sleep for a very long time. I dreamed that I had been rescued by ninjas and taken to a save haven, away from the misery that I suffered from. There was no one to hurt me in this world. There was nothing but pure happiness and it was a lovely feeling. I had friends and family to call my own, although they all resembled characters from "Naruto". Everyone loved me and I loved them back. The dreams I saw in my sleep, however, was far from the reality that I had to deal with at home. It provided me a sense of safety and security, even though, it was just an escape from that horrid place that I called home.

_I don't want to wake up._

The beautiful images of a new life slip away from me as I begin to wake up and return to reality. Ugh, I really don't want to go back to that ugly place. My vision is still rather foggy. In my foggy vision, I can make out the vague image of a blonde haired woman, with an impressive bust, in a green robe. I blink several more times to clear my vision and I'm met with a serious-looking Tsunade. Tsunade? I must still be dreaming. There is no way that I could be in the "Naruto" world. There's no logic. The Hokage's brown eyes softened (surprisingly) after seeing the confusion on my face, but I know that there are many questions that are to be answered, including how I even got into the Hidden Village of the Leaf in the first place. That question is definitely bound to come up and the truth is the only answer I can give...provided that I don't change the course of this universe.

"Looks like somebody beat the hell out of you." She said. "Do you care to share that?"

"My parents." I replied sleepily. "It's even worse when they're drunk."

Naruto grunts in anger, prompting the fifth Hokage to shush him so she could listen to my story. The Hokage clearly understands his anger, though. She was all too familiar with the young shinobi's past and so am I, though I am not about to admit it out loud. For all I know, I can easily land myself in the torture and interrogation department and I don't feel like going through that crap. I'm almost tempted to chuckle at this situation because, here I am, talking with fictional characters...in my world, that is. I had been doing just that last night as sketched said characters before falling asleep and waking up here. Come to think of it, I remember that I had locked myself into my room and falling asleep on my sketchbook afterwards. Perhaps my strange habits have translated into this wonderful dream. I decide that I would embrace this dream and make it last for as long as possible. It's not very often that I can enjoy sleep without being rudely awakened by my parents.

"Is this a dream?" I muttered.

"This is no dream." The Hokage replies bluntly.

I blush. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. I sighed. Insanity must be kicking in right about now. I shake my head. I know that the Hokage is quite curious as to why I a acting this way and especially after the comment I made about this situation being a dream. I suppose that should have been a clue that this isn't a dream, but my denial had gotten the best of me. It always gets the best of me when I'm protecting myself. It must have been written all over my face (I'm a very transparent person, apparently) because she reassures me that where I was at was no dream. Everything around me is very real, but I need to take things slowly.

"You must have been beaten pretty good." Naruto says.

"Quiet, brat." Tsunade growls.

I giggle. Even if this isn't a dream, which I still doubt, I am definitely going to make the best out of the situation and enjoy whatever happiness might come my way during my stay. Tsunade continues her interrogation, which I answer as truthfully as I can without sounding crazy. She finally concedes, after finding no deception on my part, and tells me that I can stay here in the Leaf Village. I will have to find my own apartment, of course, and get a job among the civilian workers. That's when she recruits Naruto to help me out.

"After all," she says. "You were the one who brought her here.

Naruto pouts, which I thought is rather cute, before he says that he was willing to help me out once I got out of the hospital. During an examination, Tsunade had apparently found a damaged kidney (no doubt from one of my beatings) and, possibly, a damaged heart (also from one of my daily beatings). Those two things would keep me in the hospital for a while longer while she made sure that I wouldn't have any serious problems in the future. I couldn't help, though, but wish that I really did have serious injuries. If I had, I would be able to die in my sleep and my parents wouldn't have to deal with me in the future. Naruto must have sensed my thoughts (or at least, my mood) because he says to me:

"A good person, like you, shouldn't wish for death." He growled. "It's not worth it."/p

He is definitely right, of course. If I choose to take my life now, then my parents would win. They would have the satisfaction of being able to break me. It would confirm that they had power over me and I refuse to give them the satisfaction of knowing that. I look up at Naruto, with a new energy that I haven't really felt in years, and give him a big, genuine smile. The smile on my face is a real smile and it feels good to smile again. He returned my smile with his big, goofy grin. How I loved that big grin of his. It was so infectious and contagious. How can one not smile when he was around? Naruto spent most of the day with me, talking about life in the Leaf Village and about the people he knew. It was awesome to hear about fictional characters from another character's point of view. It was refreshing and seeing Sakura hitting Naruto over the head was pretty awesome, too, not to mention freaking hilarious. I never thought I could laugh so much. After all, my life before awakening to this one had been devoid of life, love and happiness. There was no laughter. There had been only grief, misery, strife, violence and hatred. I believed that I would have drowned myself in alcohol, instead of anime, had I continued to live with my parents. I believed that this dream would offer the possibility of a better reality. I hoped that was true/p


	4. Chapter 4

I'm finally released from the hospital after a good week of healing. Naruto had found an apartment for me near his, which was very fortunate for me. The apartment is in a rather secluded area of the village but that is how I prefer it. I really don't like being in the spotlight and I definitely like my privacy. A lot of the village people give me looks of pity but I returned those looks with scowls and glares. They all feel sorry for me because I'm being helped by the so-called demon of the village. Funny that they can't tell the difference between a human and a demon but they are so narrow-minded and so stuck in the past that it's really pathetic. Hell, it's really disgraceful. The tall boy just ignores their hateful stares as he shows me the sights of the Leaf Village. He's just happy to be jabbering away about his favorite spots around the area, like the ramen shop, for example. He decides to treat me there-which was really strange to everyone in the shop, since he usually left the tab on someone else-and the ramen is quite good for an anime show. I have to admit that I was just a tad bit disgusted at first when I witnessed him practically breathing his food in, but I was left giggling by the time he finished all nine bowls of ramen. It's just so funny to watch him. Just seeing Naruto's face, though, brought me some joy. His blue eyes were wide with shock before he started to laugh with me. His laughter is a very pleasant sound and I hope I can hear more of it.

We spent most of the day getting to know each other. I already knew most of his likes and dislikes, just based on the earlier episodes of "Naruto." Come to think of it, I'm not exactly sure what timeline I have landed in. So...I subtly study Naruto's jumpsuit, which is black and orange, and that clearly indicates that I am currently in Shippuden. If I had been in the first timeline, he would have been wearing a straight orange jumpsuit and he would have been a whole lot smaller than he was now.

_And twice as goofy._ I thought.

I have to wonder where exactly where I am in Shippuden. From the looks of it, it seems that I landed towards the beginning of the new series. There is no sign of Sai anywhere and there was definitely no sign of Sauske. Lady Hokage had told me that this place and time is reality and not a dream. If that is the case, then there is a very good and very high chance that my presence here could easily alter events of the Narutoverse. Case in point, Naruto actually paid for the ramen that he had devoured, along with my bowls which is something he never did before. It seems like a minor detail at the moment, but even the smallest of details could affect something big, like the future and the world for that matter.

"Hey, Mina!" Naruto yells. "Snap out of it!"

"Don't be rude, brat!" A male voice demands.

"Whatever, pervy sensei." Naruto snarks.

That was followed by a loud thud, which sounded very much like a punch to the back of someone's head. I came out of my thoughts and came face to face with none other than the pervy sage himself, Jiraya. I instinctively hugged my moderate sized bust. A sweatdrop appeared over Jiraya's head, along with a look of rejection, and I heard an obnoxious chortle from Naruto. Of course, that chortle earned him another whack to the head and a cry of pain escaped the blonde. A huge lump appeared on his head.

"I never seen her before. Is she your secret girlfriend?" He asks in a conspiring tone. "You dog!"

Naruto gives the legendary sanin a dirty look before replying in the negative. He explains the entire situation, sparing me the unnecessary attention. Thankfully, he leaves out some of my personal history, though I could sense that Jiraya had been looking at my healing injuries. When I had left the hospital earlier, I checked to see if my bruises were completely gone. To no surprise, they weren't. They're healing, though, but they obviously relate a powerful story and seeing that I'm not a ninja of this village, he could only guess as to what my history is. The serious look on his face told me that he had correctly guessed exactly what my circumstances had been. I forget that ninjas can read people.

"You were beaten, weren't you?" Jiraya asks in a soft voice.

"Yeah." I said dejectedly.

Jiraya seems to understand my pain. I guess he would understand because he's also aware of Naruto's history as well (who wasn't?) and he knows exactly how the boy was treated in the past. Naruto places a comforting hand on my shoulder, which is a really strange feeling. It's kind of hard not to shrug it off, per my habit when I lived at home. It's just so really new to me. Being touched by someone in a comforting way is definitely something I need to get readjusted to. If I had shrugged one of my parents off, it would have resulted in a severe punishment. Most of the time, that punishment was usually an ass-kicking and being locked into my room like some prisoner. Apparently, my fist had curled into a fist because the sanin then goes on to say:

"You resent those who hit you. That much is clear. I'll tell you what. I'm more than willing to put you through some training. How's that?"

Training is something I hadn't considered. Of course, my thoughts revert back to the alteration of the Narutoverse. If I do become a ninja, just how much of the Shippuden Era will I change? I've seen the entire season and the results of the episodes of Shippuden. My presence here could easily change the entire story line in my world and what then? This is something serious that I have to take into careful consideration. Should I do this for me? I mean, I really would like to make a new life for myself away from my parents and here is an excellent opportunity to do so. However, to do so would mean the alteration of an entire world (if it was even real) and I don't really want to be responsible for whatever consequences that I would face. This is quite a dilemma...though the temptation to stay here with Naruto and the crew is very strong.

"Give it a few days." Jiraya says. "No need to decide right away."

"Right. Thanks." I say.

He nods before departing towards the Hokage's office. Naruto commences chattering into my ear, promising that he would introduce me to all of his friends and that they were cool once I get to know them...though he admits to the fact that a few of them are quite annoying. I sigh contently, even though being treated kindly and with respect is going to take some getting used to.


	5. Chapter 5

"The girl's got potential." Jiraya argues.

The legendary sannin is leaning against the wall in the Hokage's office, speaking with Tsunade about Mina. He had sensed a latent power in her and he wanted to bring it out. He suspected that her built-up power was from years of abuse that she suffered at whoever beat her. It was a very solid theory that he had built on his own. If she was trained properly and with the proper guide, she could be a powerful asset to the village. Tsunade admits that this is a very a good point, however, she points out that Mina can easily turn her back on the Leaf, like Sauske had two years back.

"How do we know that she won't do what he did?" Tsunade demands sharply.

"She won't." Jiraya replies confidently. "Naruto has a good influence on her. As long as she remains with him, she shouldn't turn her back on us."

Besides which, he thought, she had nowhere else to go. That was why Tsunade had Naruto help Mina out in the first place so she could get settled and established in her new life. Apparently, just because the girl wasn't a threat initially, according to the fifth Hokage, she could easily become one later if she was trained. She had a valid point, though, Jiraya had to admit, considering what had happened with the Uchiha boy. However, he had a good feeling that Mina would not turn her back. When he saw her interacting with Naruto, he knew that she would grow as a ninja and develop good moral values and the blonde knucklehead would help her. Now, he just needed to have Tsunade see that if Mina stayed on a good path, then there would be no problem.

"So, do you propose training her with Naruto as a support system?"

Jiraya nods. Tsunade gives some serious thought to his proposal. She sighs after awhile. He had made some valid points that she could no longer argue. She stared him down with her serious brown eyes and says:

"So be it...and I don't need to warn you what will happen if she betrays us."

* * *

Mina's POV

I'm hanging out with Naruto and some of his friends, whom I just met today, when Jiraya decides to show up out of the blue. It scared me so badly that I had actually punched him. I punched him so hard that I had actually sent him flying across the village. Everyone just had looks ranging from shock to total indifference (Kakashi, of course, who just showed up to socialize. You know how he is). Kakashi just has a deadpan look on his face, or in his eye, considering that he still has that stupid mask on. Naruto then starts to obnoxiously laugh out loud.

"Good hit!" He exclaims.

"Don't scare me like that!" I scream.

Jiraya is a little bit slow getting back to us. I could have sworn that I heard him mutter about being too old for this, which makes me smirk. He deserved it for scaring me. I gave him a withering look when he looked back at me. He admitted that I had hit him with pretty good force, which was pretty good for a rookie. I cocked my head, kind of like a puppy who was trying to understand what was being said. Kakashi, on the other hand, knew right away where the sannin was going with that last statement.

"You plan on training her?" He asks.

"Huh?"

I had forgotten that Jiraya had offered me the opportunity to become a ninja. I hadn't made my decision officially, but I was more inclined to accept the offer. I had realized that I hadn't woken up in my world and that was when I came to the conclusion that everything around me was real. I was no longer living in what I thought was reality. My desires for a change in life had come true. I look back to the older ninja, who saw that I had made my decision.

"I'm definitely willing to train." I say with resolve.

Naruto cheers me on, though he clearly hadn't been expecting that he would be helping me with training. Kakashi, though, felt the need to remind the sannin of the fact that I have to go through the Academy yet and learn all of the basic things that are expected of ninja. I'm definitely okay with this. If I am going to survive in this world in which the Akatsuki are the main antagonists then I need to learn everything that I need to know. Jiraya then turns to the rest of the group and tells them to help me out whenever I needed it, although Naruto would be my primary tutor. He eagerly agrees to this, which made me rather happy. I guess this is because he's my favorite character out of the entire series.

"Your training with me will begin after you get through the Academy." Jiraya tells me.

I nod. There's going to be a lot of changes in my life and I have better get myself mentally prepared for them.


	6. Chapter 6

The Academy is a very interesting place and rather easy to understand. Then again, it kind of helps that I actually know what was being taught, thanks to a simple invention back in my world called television. From my memories of watching the earlier show, I recognize various hand signs that were made in order to perform several jutsus, including that clone technique that Naruto had so much trouble with in the beginning of the series. Iruka Umino, the instructor, is a very kind and patient man and I can see why Naruto admired and respected him so. It's probably because Iruka treated him like a person and not as a demon container. I guess that is why I considered Iruka another one of my favorite characters in the Narutoverse. He was pleased that he got to work with me and how I progressed fast. I have to admit that I didn't think that I would be able to understand all the hand signs and jutsus involved, but I did. I excelled in taijutsu and genjustu. I am decent in ninjutsu, but taijutsu and genjustu are my areas of concentration.

"Show me a shadow clone, Mina." Iruka instructed.

Class examinations are today and they also determined whether we graduate or get held back another year. I, of course, am determined to get through this thing and determined to be just as good as Naruto or, maybe, like Sakura. I've always had a fascination with the medical world, even back home. I would always watch those medical shows like, E.R Mysteries, or Trauma: Life in the E.R. I've always wanted to help other people. Iruka-sensei says that I have excellent chakra control and having such control would definitely be beneficial to becoming a medical nin. I sigh before focusing on my hand signs and developing the perfect clone for the instructor. Right next to me, a perfect clone of myself appeared. HA! I did it! Iruka praises me and then instructs me to disguise myself as any ninja of my choosing. I smirk as I decide to use Naruto as an example. Needless to say, he was very pleased and I knew that I graduated.

You can definitely imagine how happy I was to have gotten my headband. I spent most of the day admiring it! The symbol that is etched into the metal indicates that I am an official ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. I trace the symbol with the tip of my finger before tying my hair up and putting on my prized possession. I am pretty damned proud of it. For once, I have something to be proud of and it's a great feeling! I start to walk off back to the main part of the village when I hear a certain hyperactive ninja shouting my name. I smile as he jogs up to me, with a few of his fellow ninja following behind. There _is_ somebody missing, though. I look around to see if I can find the pervy sensei and then I sweat-drop as I remember his most favored pastime. He's probably off at the baths peeking at naked women. I huff but I am not about to worry about that for now. If I didn't know any better, I would say that Jiraya is due to show up anytime soon if my calculations are correct.

"You made it!" Naruto cheers with a big grin on his face.

"Yep!" I grin back.

Everyone congratulates me on my achievement and all of them were looking forward to what I would do next as a ninja. According to Iruka, I am to be placed on Team Seven, to fill in for Sauske. I frown briefly. What else in the Narutoverse has been altered? I really don't want to know but as long as I am present here, I'm going to find out whether I like it or not. Returning to reality, Sakura asks me about what field that I want to be in. I blush. There were so many things that I could do, but I admit that I want to help other people in need as a medical nin. I tell her what Iruka told me but I also mention that I want to be a great fighter, like Naruto, who beams at me. Sakura's emerald eyes had brightened when she heard that I wanted to be like her. She then turns to Ino, who had tagged along, and smiles at her.

"There you go, Ino-pig." She says teasingly. "You got yourself an apprentice."

"Watch it, forehead." Ino growls.

Before the two kunoichis got into it, Jiraya suddenly enters the fray...or more like bounced into the fray. He crash lands next to the group and then bounces a couple extra feet before coming to a complete stop. I see a red hand print on his face, which means that I had been right about his whereabouts. He stands up and dusts himself off. Naruto and I just stare at him, like he grew an extra eye on his face. The sannin pretends not to notice this but I can see the tick mark on his forehead. He is irritated and I know that it's because he had gotten caught by Tsunade. She is the only kunoichi (other than Haruno Sakura of course) that can send a man flying from one side of the village to the other side.

"Got caught, pervy sensei?" Naruto asks with a devilish smirk.

"Hmph."

"He did." I add, grinning.

"Alright, you two." Jiraya sighs. "So kid, I see you graduated. Are you ready to begin your training?"

I nod. I am very willing to forgo the celebrations and skip ahead to training. If the events involving the Akatsuki are to come to light, then I have to get down to business and start training. Jiraya must have seen how serious I was because he smiles approvingly before he takes Naruto and me to Training Ground 44. I'm not really surprised to see Kakashi there with his nose buried in one of Jiraya's books. Naruto huffs in irritation and I simply sigh. You really can't change a man's habits, after all.

"Well, kid," Jiraya begins. "I guess we'll begin your training by letting you fight Naruto and see what you learned."

My eyes widen in surprise. Naruto is a major powerhouse and I wasn't expecting to fight him so soon, but I have to start somewhere. I become serious again and face Naruto. He gets into position just as I do. I ignore the audience and simply focus on my opponent. He would be extremely difficult to overcome, but I always believe that anything is possible if one put their mind to it. Once I get the signal to begin, I charge Naruto.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys! It's been a long time since I updated this story! I will do my best to get back on track but work has been keeping me down since I have gone to full-time hours! Anyway, I hope you guys like this story!

* * *

I am not about to back down from my test and Naruto knows it. He charges me, too, and both of our fists meet and collide with impressive velocity. The force of our punches causes a large crater in the ground, surprising everyone nearby. Naruto and I are going at it and neither one of us were letting up on each other and wouldn't anytime soon. Blows are exchanged and blood is spilled from those blows, but they are worth every hit. It seems that with each hit that I take, my strength would increase dramatically and, soon enough, I am now on par with the blonde ninja. His blue eyes sparkles with excitement as the battle intensifies. He clearly enjoys the fight and I do too. I haven't felt this happy in quite sometime. It's amazing that a strange twist of fate could lead me to something far more deadly but more beneficial for my mental health.

"Impossible..." Neji says, shocked.

I don't need to look to see that he's using his Byakugan in order to keep up with our speed. I didn't really notice how fast we were moving until Neji spoke up. My eyes are standing fast on my opponent. I don't intend to lose my focus on him now. If I do, then I'm toast. He then summons his shadow clones in order to pin me down, but I manage to counter by doing the same thing and having the same number of clones on the training ground. Tit-for-Tat as I have heard someone say. We charge each other once again and then everything becomes covered with clouds of dust. However, when it clears up, Naruto is the only one left and this prompts him to keep his guard up. I quickly make my move by coming from below and grabbing him by the feet, dragging him down into the ground. It's the same tactical move that Kakashi had made on the show during the early episodes as he trained the original Team Seven.

"HA!"

My victory is short-lived, of course. I had celebrated a little bit too early because Naruto, all of the sudden, attacks me from behind and he would have gotten me with his Rasengan if I hadn't dodged it at the last possible second. I sigh and keep my focus on him. I am not going to be careless like that again and I will make sure of that. Carelessness can easily get me killed. If there's one thing I have learned here and in the real world, it is that carelessness can get me into trouble and I definitely know that.

"That was an impressive show." Jiraya says approvingly.

Naruto and I sit on the ground, huffing and puffing and high-five each other for a job well done. Sakura and Ino quickly tend to our injuries and we are eventually back in fighting form. Jiraya gives us an hour to recuperate and have lunch before it's time that we really get down to business. In the meantime, the legendary sannin turns to Kakashi and they start to discuss whatever they observed during our fight. As for the rest of us, we go down to the ramen shop and had some really good ramen as a treat for our spar. Naruto, as always, pretty much inhales his food. Sakura and Ino whack him across the head, causing him to choke, and demand him that he show some good manners. I laugh at the sight of it all. It's one thing to observe it on TV but an entirely different thing to see it in real life.

"I don't have to listen to you two." He pouts.

"Please, Naruto?" I ask with my puppy dog pout.

Naruto came close to shedding exaggerated tears before he agrees. I grin while everyone sweat-drops, wondering why they never even thought of pulling the same stunt that I just did. I always thought that imitation was a form of flattery but as I thought of each character trying to imitate my puppy dog pout, the very idea makes me shudder. Some of the images that I just saw in my mind's eye were not very pretty. Maybe it's a very good thing that they didn't try to imitate me.


End file.
